Creating Watercolor Magic Together
Every brushstroke tells a story. We've spent years perfecting our approach to watercolor illustration, and honestly, watching client visions come to life never gets old.
Our Five-Stage Creative Journey
Back in March 2024, we realised our clients needed clarity on how we work. So we mapped out the entire process – from that first conversation to the final piece arriving at your door.
Initial Consultation
We start with a proper chat about your vision. What atmosphere are you after? Which colours speak to you? This conversation shapes everything that follows.
Concept Development
Then comes the sketching phase. We'll send you rough drafts – nothing fancy yet, just ideas on paper. Most clients appreciate seeing the thinking before the painting begins.
Colour Exploration
Once you've approved the composition, we create colour studies. Watercolour behaves differently from other mediums, so testing combinations beforehand saves headaches later.
Final Painting
This is where the real work happens. Depending on complexity, we might spend anywhere from three days to two weeks on your piece. Rushing watercolour never ends well.
Quality Review
Before anything leaves our studio, we photograph your piece in natural light and send you images. If something feels off, we address it immediately.
Delivery
We package everything carefully – acid-free materials only – and handle shipping personally. Your illustration arrives ready to frame or scan, depending on your needs.
What Actually Happens Between Steps
The tidy process above doesn't capture the messiness of creative work. Here's what really goes on behind the scenes at our Sonning studio.
- We test paper textures before committing – cold press behaves completely differently from hot press, and your subject matter determines which works best
- Weather affects watercolour drying times more than you'd think, so timelines shift slightly with Reading's unpredictable climate
- Every illustration gets photographed at multiple stages, giving you a record of how your piece evolved from blank paper to finished artwork
- We maintain direct communication throughout – no project managers or middlemen, just straightforward conversations about your illustration
- Revisions happen during the sketch phase specifically because changing direction after painting starts becomes exponentially harder
- Final scans are included with every commission, providing you with high-resolution digital versions for reproduction if needed
The People Behind Your Illustrations
Three artists currently work from our studio, each bringing different strengths to client projects. You'll work primarily with one, but we all review each other's work before pieces go out.
Fergus Blackwood
Trained at Edinburgh College of Art. Fergus handles most of our nature-focused commissions and has an almost obsessive attention to leaf vein patterns.
Alastair Pemberton
Previously worked as a technical illustrator before discovering watercolour. Buildings and structures are his domain – precise yet expressive.
Tamsin Caldwell
Studied under traditional watercolourists in Cornwall. Tamsin specialises in capturing personality through loose, confident brushwork rather than rigid detail.
Ready to Commission Your Piece?
We're currently booking projects for autumn 2025. Most commissions take between four to eight weeks from initial conversation to delivery, though simpler pieces can move faster.
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